Monday, 1 August 2011

According to many Winnipegers a new logo can mean a lot, especially when that logo has negative connotation and when it is representing our NHL franchise.

The new "Jets" logo, announced last week, can be argued that it resembles that of the Royal Canadian Air Forces emblem, which, to some, can be argued that it is supporting the armed forces and in turn supporting war.

In my humble opinion, there is a difference between pro-armed forces and being pro-war.

I saw a thought provoking t-shirt the other day that said "Peace needs no Generals or other killing things" which means to say that with peace there would be no need for an army.

The sad truth is, there is no such thing as peace and therefore there will always be a need for armed forces. This does not mean the armed forces provoke or monger war, it just means that we can protect our country and its people if need be. It is unfortunate that these "killing things" get used and lives are lost but it can be argued that a lot more lives would be lost without it.

As for a logo, I personally do not think that the logo should have been so closely matched to that of the armed forces. However, I do not think that this was a politically changed move by the True North company. I also commend them for attempting to find symbolism in the name that accurately represents our city's history.

A valid point brought up by a friend of mine; In contrast to some other sports teams such as the Toronto Raptors, at least our name has a strong historical foundation.

I will be buying a retro 80's Jets jersey, not because of the "pro-war" antagonism that the new logo ensues but simply because I prefer the design of the old Jets jerseys.

Royal Canadian Air Forces Emblem

The new Winnipeg Jets logo

For those that didn't know:
"During World War II, Royal Canadian Air Force Station Winnipeg became a major Air Force Base as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which trained more than 130,000 pilots, navigators, observers and wireless operators at various locations across Canada. Winnipeg also became a major wartime centre for supply and repair depots and ferry and inspection units." 17 Wing History